Driving mechanism



June 8, 1943. J KELTZ 2,321,090

DRIVING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 4, 1941 44 Z 7; 0 0 J o -L\o oi g o do 1%W0 W 0 0 0 a;

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Patented June 8, 1943 DRIVING MECHANISM Max J. Keltz, Springfield, Masa,assignor to Perkins Machine and Gear Company, West Springfield, Mass., acorporation of, Massachusetts Application December 4, 1941, Serial No.421,683

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a mechanical motion or drivingmechanism for anoscillatable shaft or the like.

The principal objects of the invention are directed to improvements indriving mechanism for an oscillatable shaft that is characterized bypositively and continually engaged elements and means to vary the anglethrough which said shaft is oscillated.

The novel mechanism of the invention is adapted for broad applicationbut for purposes of disclosure will be described in connection with thepaddle or agitator shaft of a washing machine.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a partial inverted plan view of a washing machine tub havingthe mechanism of the invention associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevational view on the line 22 ofFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevational view on the line 3-3 ofFig. l; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are plan and side elevational views respectively of theslide of the mechanism shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Referring to the drawing more in detail, the invention will now be fullydescribed.

A portion of a washing machine tub is shown at 2 which has a lower wall4 and a side wall 6. A shaft 8 extends upwardly into the tub through thelower wall and carries a paddle or agitator,

not shown. This shaft 8 is oscillatable back and.

forth so that the paddle is oscillated and its lower end is journalledin a casing H].

The said casing is secured to the tub or the lower wall thereof in anyconvenient manner and it, together with a closure I2 therefor, isadapted to contain the mechanism to be described, it being soconstructed as to be oil-tight so the mechanism may operate inlubricant. The shaft 8 is oscillated in opposite directions by themechanism to be described and said mechanism is arranged and adapted toimpart oscillatory movements of any desired angle to the shaft betweenzero and a maximum which depends on the specific construction of themechanism.

A pinion M is secured to the shaft 8 and a segment I6 oscillatable on astud I8 secured to the casing is in mesh therewith. The shaft 8 will beoscillated through an angle bearing some relation to that through whichthe segment is oscillated and the angle through which the segment isoscillated may be varied.

A motor or other prime mover is represented by 22 which has its shaft 24connected to a shaft 28 by a coupling 26. The shaft 28 is. journalled inthe casing H! and carries a worm 3i].

A shaft 32 has its lower end journalled in the casing and it carries aworm gear 36. with which the worm 30 is in mesh. Said shaft extendsupwardly along side of the tub for driving a wringer as is usual withwashing machines. As the motor 22 is operated the worm gear 34 isrotated.

A member All is pivoted at one end between the members 42 of the memberi6 by means of a pivot 44. as shown in Fig. 1. A pivot member Miisassociated with the worm wheel 3 3 and has an upper slotted end. inwhich the member 40 is slidable and a retainer 48 of the pivot memberextends over the member 40, all as shown.

.As the member 34 rotates, the end of member 40 is carried aroundthrough a circular path. So that the segment [6 is oscillated back andforth fulcrum means is provided for the member 40.

This is accomplished by means of a block 56.

that. is slidable on ledges 52, provided in the casing which supportsaid blockand surface 54. at its opposite sides, guide the member 48,see Fig. 3. A fulcrum member has a lower stud-likemember 5.2 which,together with the main body of member 60, is oscillatable in said block56.

The member 40 is slidably guided in the member 60 so that there may berelative. movements. of said members as the block 50 is moved back.

and forth. towards and away-from the segment. By moving the block 59 andfulcrum member 60 the greatest distance from. the segment, the saidsegment is oscillated through the greatest angle since the outer freeend of member 40. is. rotated through a circular path of constantdiameter.

As the block and fulcrum are moved. towards the. segment. the angle ofoscillation. thereof and consequently the angle of oscillation of shaft8 is decreased.

It is desired that the axis of the fulcrum member 60 b disposed inalignment with the axis of pivot M in which case the segment will remainstationary although the end of member 40 is being carried around thecircular path.

To accomplish this the side of the block adjacent the segment is cutaway at H! and the fulcrum member 68 is cut away at E2 so as not tointerfere with the parts 42 of the fulcrum. Thus it is possible toadjust the block and fulcrum member so that the member 40 is at rest oris oscillated through various angles up to the maximum.

The block may be adjusted in various ways but for purposes of disclosurea rack 14 carried therebyis in mesh with a gear 16 of a shaft 18jourmeans shown in U. S. Patent to Oakley 2,225,249..

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the presentembodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely asbeing illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of theinvention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by theforegoing description, and all modifications and variations as fallwithin the mean ing and purview and range of equivalency of the appendedclaims are therefore intended to embraced therein.

' What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

, 1. The combination with an oscillatable, shaft of operating meanstherefor comprising, an oscillatable driven member fixed on said shaft,a rotatable driving member, a member pivoted at one end to saidoscillatable memberand having a free end, means on the rotatable memberslidably guiding and acting on the free end of the pivoted member toswing it back and forth as the rotatable member rotates, and meansacting on the pivoted member to hold the same for swing-v ing movementswhereby the swinging of the free end thereof brings about movements ofthe oscillatable member.

2. The combination with an oscillatable shaft of a washing machine orthe like operating means therefor comprising, an oscillatable memberfixed on said shaft, a rotatable driving member, a member pivoted at oneend to said oscillatable member and having a free end, driving means onthe rotatable member slidably guiding and act ing on the free end of thepivoted member to swing it back and forth as the rotatable memberrotates, means between the oscillatable member and the driving means ondriving member acting on the pivoted member to hold it from swingingmovements whereby the oscillatable member is oscillated.

3. Th combination with relatively spaced drive and driven shaftsrotatable and oscillatable therein of means for oscillating the latterfrom th former comprising, an oscillating member operatively connectedto said driven shaft, a drive member fixed to said drive shaft, aconnecting member pivotally connected at one end to said oscillatingmember and having a free end extending towards th drive shaft, means onthe drive member slidably and operatively receiving the free end of saidconnecting member, and fulcrum means pivotally and slidably receivingsaid connecting member guided for movements back and forth between saidshafts.

4. The combination with relatively spaced drive and driven shaftsrotatable and oscillatable therein of means for oscillating the latterfrom the former comprising, an oscillating member operatively connectedto said driven shaft, a drive member fixed to said drive shaft, aconnecting member pivotally connected at one end to said oscillatingmember and having a free end extending towards the drive shaft, means onthe drive member slidably and operatively receiving the free end of saidconnecting member, fulcrum means pivotally and slidably receiving saidconnecting member guided for movements back and forth between saidshafts, and means for actuating said fulcrum means.

5. The combination with relatively spaced drive and driven shaftsrotatable and oscillatable therein of means for oscillating the latterfrom the former comprising, an oscillating member operatively connectedto said driven shaft, a drive member fixed to said drive shaft, aconnecting member pivotally connected at one end to said oscillatingmember and having a free end extending towards the drive shaft, means onthe drive member slidably and operatively receiving the free end of saidconnecting member, fulcrum means slidable in said support between saidshaft slidably and pivotally receiving said connecting memberintermediate its ends, and means for operating said fulcrum means.

6. The combination with relatively space drive and driven shaftsrotatable and oscillatable therein of means for oscillating the latterfrom the former comprising, an oscillating member operatively connectedto said driven shaft, a drive member fixed to said drive shaft, aconnecting member pivotally connected at one end to said oscillatingmember and having a free end extending towards the drive shaft, means onthe drive member slidably and operatively receiving the free end of saidconnecting member, a member slidable on said support between saidshafts, a guide member slidably receiving said connecting memberintermediat its ends pivotally connected to said member, and means foractuating said slidable member, all adapted and arranged whereby saidslidable member may be moved to position the pivotal connection of theguide mem her and slidable member in coincidence with the pivotalconnection of the connecting member and oscillatable member.

MAX J. KELTZ.

